Clock-escapement



(No Model.)

H. REMPE. GLOOK ESGAP-EMENT.

Patented June 6, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY REMPE, OF DANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOCK-ESCAPEM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,176, dated June 6, 1893.

Application filed June 3,1892. Serial No. 35,346v (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY REMPE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Mpntour and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Glock-Escapements; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated embod ying my invention, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings: Figure 1 represents a portion of a frame work of a clock showing my improved esoapement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in different positions. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the pendulum of the clock in operative position. Figs. 4: and 5 are detail views of the pallet arm and roller.

My improved escapement wheel is constructed preferably as follows, and consists essentially of a central hub having a series of teeth extending toward the rim and a circular rim having a series of teeth located intermediate the teeth of the hub, and projecting toward the hub as shown in the drawings. I have shown the rim E provided with the inwardly projecting teeth 0 and secured to the staff I-I-by a series of spokes D which are preferably bent at any angle adjacent to the rim so as to bring the rim E in the Vertical plane of a central hub E provided with outwardly proj eoting teeth B, the teeth of the rim alternating with the teeth of the hub, and vice versa. The hub E and the spokes D of the rim may be secured to the staff in any preferred manner so as to insure the revolution of said parts (which form what 1 term the escape wheel) with the said staff. The

staif H is also provided with a pinion N which imparts motion to the clock train in the usual manner.

Upon a suitable part of the frame is mounted the pallet staff J, mounted in suitable bearings to permit its oscillation, and said staff is provided with the pallet arm F and with an arm M which is connected to the pendulum in the customary manner. The pallet arm F is provided at its end with a laterally extending arm f which projects into the space between the hub and rim of the escape wheel and is preferably provided with a friction roll A as shown suitably secured thereon to engage the edges of the teeth B and O of the hub and rim of the escape wheel respectively.

The edges of the teeth 13 and O are provided with curved cam surfaces to engage the pallet roller and said curved or cam portions are out of line with the curved path in which the pallet roller A travels and which is indicated by a dotted line K in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in the drawings the points or ends of said teeth which first engage the pallet roller are curved up above the said line of travel of the roller so that as the pendulum carries the pallet roller from a tooth on the rim to the next succeeding tooth on the hub or vice versa, as the roller passes out of engagement with the one tooth the escape wheel will revolve under the impetus of the spring or weight which operates the clock mechanism, and the point of the next tooth will engage the roller A. Then as the pallet arm swings over to complete its movement in that direction the roller will slide a certain distance along the curved or cam portion of the tooth and move the escape wheel back a slight distance thus giving the recoil to the said escape wheel.

In clocks that employ a steel spring as its source of motive power when said spring is nearly run down the power it imparts to escapement through clock mechanism and escape wheel will give roll A an impulse of certain force thus causing pendulum to swing in a given are of vibration, whereas if the spring is fully wound up the power it imparts to said parts will be much greater. Hence the pendulum will swing in an increased arc of vibration. In order to have the recoil exactly sufficient to cause the pendulum to swin gisochronal in its different arcs of vibration caused by the variations above referred to in motive power or by variations caused by an imperfeet gear train, I provide in this instance set screws for adjusting the pallet staff with respect to escape wheel. In the drawings I have shown the portion of the clock frame in which the pallet staff J is mounted movable with respect to the main frame, and adjustable with respect thereto by means of adj usting screws S S. These screws raise or lower the staff J with respect to escape wheel thus raising or lowering arm F and roll A. Hence it will be seen that if arm F is raised or lowered it will raise or lower the curved path of travel of roll A thus giving escape wheel a greater or lesser recoil. "When the pendulum is swinging in its increased arc of vibration roll A travels a greater distance along the curved or cam surfaces of the teeth and the recoil will cause it to swing in the same time it consumed when swinging in its smaller are. P represents the pendulum supported in any usual or preferred manner and 19 represents the pendulum weight.

The operation of my improved escapement is as follows: Supposing the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the pendulum about to swing toward the right the direction of movement of the escape Wheel being indicated by the arrow, as the pendulum swings to the right the pallet roller A will travel down the cam surface of tooth B until it disengages its point when the motive spring or weight will cause the escape wheel to revolve until the point of the next tooth O engages the pallet roll. Then as the roll slides up the cam face of that tooth it will give the proper recoil to the escape wheel. Fig. 2 shows the parts at the completion of this movement ready for the pendulum to swing to the left, when the operation will be repeated, the pallet roll engaging the next tooth B of the hub E. It will be seen that the friction roll A reduces friction to the minimum and no oil will be required on the surfaces of the teeth which are engaged by said roll, nor on the roll thus avoiding all danger of clogging from that source. It will be observed that as the pallet roller rolls off the cam surface of one of the teeth the pressure of the motive spring or weight will impart an impulse through the escape wheel to the pallet arm and through the pallet stafi and arm M to the pendulum. Hence the pendulum receives an impulse every time the roller leaves one of the teeth B or O.

In the manufacture of clocks provided with my improved escapement, the adjusting for the pallet staff may in some instances be dispensed with. For instance when once the parts are accurately adjusted for a pendulum of given length and weight, the clocks subsequently made of the same kind maybe fitted exactly by measurement, so that the adj usting devices need not be added. Also where very fine clocks are made in which a recoil escapement is not desirable, the adjusting devices may be dispensed with and the parts formed to give a dead heat escapement, if found more advantageous.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A clock escapement including among its members an escape wheel having teeth projecting outwardly from a central hub and teeth projecting inward from its rim and alternating with the teeth of the hub, and a pallet arm, having a part connected therewith for engaging said teeth, substantially as described.

2. A clock escapement including amongits members an escape wheel having teeth projecting outwardly from a central hub and teeth projectinginwardly from its rim, alternating with and lying in the plane of the teeth of the hub, a pallet arm having a laterally extending projection provided with a friction roll for engaging said teeth, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the escape wheel provided with teeth projecting outwardly from a central hub, and teeth alternating therewith projecting inwardly from the rim of said wheel, said teeth being provided with cam surfaces, of a pallet arm provided with a part for engaging the cam faces of said teeth, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the escape wheel provided with teeth projecting outwardly from a central hub, and teeth alternating therewith projecting inwardly from the rim of said wheel, said teeth having cam surfaces, of a pallet arm having a friction roll for engaging the cam surfaces of said teeth, an arm connected with said pallet arm and engaging the pendulum and adjusting devices for adjusting said pallet arms with respect to said escape wheel to vary the recoil of the escapement, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the escape wheel having teeth extending outwardly from a central hub and teeth alternating therewith extending inwardly from the rim of said wheel, Said teeth being provided with cam surfaces, of a pallet arm secured to a pallet staff and having a friction roll for engaging the cam surfaces of said teeth the said cam surfaces having portions out of line with the travel of said roll, an arm secured to the pallet staff and engaging the pendulum, and adjusting devices for adjusting the pallet staff and said arms with respect to said escape wheel to vary the recoil of said escapement, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the escape wheel provided with teeth projecting outwardly from a central hub, and teeth projecting inwardly from its rim alternating with and lying in the plane of the teeth of the hub, a In testimonywhereof I affix my signature in pallet arm having a part connected therepresence of two witnesses. with engaging the said teeth and adjusting 4 devices for said pallet arm for raising and 5 lowering the path of said teeth engaging Witnesses:

part to vary the recoil, substantially as de- M. H. SCHRAM, scribed. E. S. GREEN.

HENRY REMPE. 

